Coming Home

5 star: (0) 4 star: (0) 3 star: (0) 2 star: (1) 1 star: (1)

Average Rating: Number of Ratings: 2 Write a review

- Denk, August 27, 2023

>INVENTORY - Paul O'Brian writes about interactive fiction

Coming Home is an unremittingly awful game, one which never should have been released publicly. It's hard to think of it even as an exercise for the author to learn Inform, so buggy and illogical are its basic design and implementation. Perhaps it could be considered a first step toward learning the language; in my opinion, such bumbling, poor initial efforts have no place in a public forum, let alone a competition. It's not much fun wandering through somebody's ill-conceived, cobbled-together, inside-joke universe. In fact, playing Coming Home is a kind of Zen torture, an experiment in just how unpleasant interactive fiction can possibly be. Perhaps it's what IF is like in Hell.

This game seems like it was written quickly, not beta tested, and by someone with not much inform experience at the time.

It is riddled with bugs and spotty implementation. (Spoiler - click to show)You can open a door if you are holding crowbar by typing OPEN DOOR, but not PRY DOOR or OPEN DOOR WITH CROWBAR. Exits don't match up. Doors don't open by themselves.

The writing is sparse and thin.

There is no real emotional connection to the game. Perhaps if it was better implemented, a lower class white life and its issues could take the stage.

The puzzles are not hinted at all. Sensible commands are frequently try ignored.

This game placed last or close to last in 1997's IFComp. Games like these lead to later movements for more beta testing.

Was this review helpful to you?   Yes   No   Remove vote  

More Options

Promote this user

Demote this user

Plonk this user

Flag spoilers

Flag as inappropriate

Direct link

View my user filters

Explain these options

 | Add a comment 

Baf's Guide

Awful. Even the goal isn't clear--you arrive at home and wander around aimlessly. Crawling with bugs, offensive--you order your mother to get you food, clean up after you, etc.--and just plain annoying. Good for MSTing, but not much else.

-- Duncan Stevens